The Energy Investment Coordinating Council (EICC) declared 29 of NGCP’s projects as Energy Projects of National Significance (EPNS). An EPNS under Executive Order Number 30 will be given expedited issuance of all regulatory and documentary requirements from local and national government agencies. This includes the action of application of permits and requirements within 30 days, and the immediate and automatic approval of all applications within five working days if no action of the said agency has been made after 30 days.
The 29 approved projects, with a total ERC approved cost of PhP90.291 Billlion, include the following: Hermosa-San Jose 500kV Transmission Line, Western Luzon 500kV Backbone, Pagbilao-Tayabas 500kV Transmission Line, San Jose-Quezon 230kV Transmission Line, Bataan 230kV Grid Reinforcement, Ambuklao-Binga-San Manuel 230kV Transmission Line, San Manuel-Nagsaag 230kV Transmission Line, Pinili 230kV Substation, Tuguegarao-Magapit 230kV Transmission Line, Navotas-Dona Imelda 230kV Transmission Line, Taguig-Taytay 230kV Transmission Line, San Manuel-Nagsaag 230kV Transmission Line, Calaca-Dasmarinas 230kV Transmission Line, and the San Simon 230kV Substation.
Among the projects crucial for the development of the grid are the Hermosa-San Jose 500kV Transmission Line, which will add a new 500kV corridor for new and old bulk generation capacities in the Bataan and Zambales areas, while the San Manuel-Nagsaag 230kV Transmission Line aims to improve the transmission corridor of central Luzon. The Navotas(Manila)-Dona Imelda 230kV Transmission Line, which includes the construction of a new Navotas 230kV Substation, will help secure the integrity of the grid serving Metro Manila and surrounding provinces.
The Pagbilao 500kV Substation and the Pagbilao-Tayabas 500kV Transmission Line project is intended to cater to around 3,370 MegaWatts (MW) of additional power from incoming power plants in the Quezon province such as the San Buenaventura Coal, AOE Coal Fired Power Plant, and the Pagbilao CCGT Power Plant.
“The issuance of EPNS by the EICC is critical for the on-time completion of these projects. This will enable us to expedite our plans and programs and efficiently cater to the needs of our stakeholders to provide a more resilient power grid,” NGCP stated.
In May 2018, NGCP was also issued an EPNS for its Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP), which will see the realization of one Philippine grid in 2020. The MVIP was the first project to be declared an EPNS.
“We continually appeal to our stakeholders to help us ensure the smooth and on-time implementation of our projects, as these are for the benefit of our communities across the country,” said NGCP.
NGCP is a Filipino-led, privately-owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid, and is led by majority shareholders Henry Sy, Jr. and Robert Coyiuto, Jr.
